As I get older, July 4th has become more important to me. As an American,
I am proud of our country. I cannot express what I feel in my heart for
this beautiful land of ours. I also love Dallas.

I want to share some concerns and my prayer for things to get better.

People in power affect those they govern. Dallas is in a point in history
of doing great things because we have a mayor who has a vision of a better
Dallas. To do this there needs to be some major changes.

Mayor Miller reminds people often about her first impression of Dallas. As
a young woman, she saw it as a beautiful place, full of excitement. My
first impression was also one of awe.

Unfortunately, things changed when our city started being more concerned about
being politically correct as to the hiring people to certain key positions of
power rather than promoting people for merit and experience. We became
politically correct, but what a price we have paid.

Police Chief Bolton has cost us millions with all the lawsuits that have been
filed. Dallas Police Department officers have gone from being the
best in Texas to one where moral is low. Dallas crime is at an all time
high. I blame this on Chief Bolton. Our officers are good, but you
are only as good as the one who leads you.

We also have City Manager Ted Benavidez whose watch has been one of poor job
performance. We can all identify with property tax woes because they have
gone through the roof while city services have declined.

I wish that these two men would be replaced by truly qualified persons. Is
this asking too much as a taxpayer?

Hopefully, we can all agree to work towards making this the best city in the
state because we are not there now.

If we are to attract conventions that bring money, we need Dallas make more
attractive so people want to come.

DART needs to fulfill their commitment to have a rail line to service the West
side of the city on Denton Road. DART needs to have a station close to
Love Field. Chicago has train stations at both airports which help
travelers and make it a more attractive place to do business.

I would also like to see corporations or citizens with money donate money to
landscape our busy streets or build beautiful water fountains. We need to
get out of our box and start thinking of how we can make this a better place for
everyone. All it takes is a vision, good leaders and money.

Have a wonderful 4th of July and take a minute to consider how rich we live in
this beautiful land and dream of what we can do to make Dallas a better place to
live.

Blessings to everyone.

May God continue to bless and protect our beloved America.

Ward politics is the
Devil's key to the soul of the city council. It is how some
council members got themselves in trouble in the past. It is
the bait that will get others in trouble in the future. 4/6/8